DECEMBER 2023
News From Siena
Dear families and friends of Siena,
Advent greetings to you all! I sincerely hope that you've had the opportunity to reflect and prepare for Jesus' birth, guided by the themes of hope, faith, joy, and peace.
The month of December is certainly a busy one in our schools, including concerts, prayer services and Masses, Christmas parties, and crafting for the holidays. I have been able to visit many schools and share in the fun faith filled activities. We are so blessed to be surrounded with outstanding staff in every school building and department. Your child(ren) are always at the center of our work.Â
I know that everyone is eager to close the chapter of 2023 with celebrations and time with family. My wish for everyone is to have a very Merry Christmas with all the joyous celebrations of the birth of Jesus and may He bring us all into a new year with the continued SPIRIT of love, peace, joy and faith!
On behalf of Siena, we are grateful to be serving your child(ren) and honored that you are part of our family where we hold high standards for academic excellence centered around our Catholic Faith.
May your days be merry and bright!
God bless,
Dr. Sue Savaglio-Jarvis
President, Siena Catholic SchoolsÂ
P.S. As always, follow Siena on Facebook and get an inside view of our schools through "Dr. Sue's View." Videos are frequently uploaded that illustrate the best our schools have to offer.
Mission: Possible!
This month I ask you to ponder this as a parent/guardian, and/or educator:Â
How do you give with a grateful heart? What does this feel like and look like?
Dr. Sue
From Angels to Eagles
St. Catherine's Head Coach Dan Miller visited UW-LaCrosse on December 2 to check out Guy Van Dis's, SCHS '19, last collegiate football game! Guy was the Angels' starting left tackle on the 2018 St. Catherine's State Championship team.Â
UW-Lacrosse won two consecutive conference championships and three consecutive NCAA playoff appearances. The Eagles were ranked No. 4 in the nation for NCAA Division III Football.
Great job, Guy! We hope to see you back at St. Cat's for a visit soon!
Math Math Math at St. Rita!
St. Rita's is part of a math program called Math Hoops, sponsored by the NBA. This board game incorporates rolling dice, calculating the numbers to practice math skills, using NBA player percentages to make shooting decisions, and enforcing sportsmanship.Â
Recently, Mrs. Maraccini's classes played a MATH HOOPS LIVE EVENT with special shooting guests Carson and DaRon, both varsity basketball players from St. Cat's. Â
6th and 7th graders rolled the dice, performed a series of calculations, directed Carson or DaRon where to shoot, and rebounded the ball. The Royals first played 6th versus 7th and ended with girls versus boys. Â
It was a lot of fun thanks to DaRon and Carson and their excellent shooting skills which allowed teams to score quite a few points!
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<<<Mrs. Maraccini didn't stop with hoops. Check out the fourth graders learning all about prime numbers with blocks!
Advent Teen Retreat Night
Campus Minister Kristen Dahlgren and students from St. Catherine's High School, St. Joseph Catholic School, St. Lucy Catholic School, and Our Lady of Grace Academy recently came together at St. Sebastian STEM Academy for a retreat night. They celebrated Mass, learned about Advent stories from the Bible, made wreaths for a nursing home to decorate doors, made Christmas cookies, and played a few games. A great time was had by all!
Nativity Breakfast at Sacred Heart
Fr. Juan and Sacred Heart Parish hosted a Nativity Breakfast on Saturday, Nov. 9 at Haban Hall. Free breakfast was served and those in attendance learned about Advent and were able to ask questions. You might see some familiar faces, including St. Sebastian STEM Academy Principal as Mary, her husband Patrick as Joseph, and their son Troy playing baby Jesus! What a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the season!
Weather Reminders
As winter rolls in we need to remind you that in most cases, Siena follows Racine Unified for weather-related closures. Once RUSD communicates a closure to Siena leadership, school principals will be informed and communication will go home via call, text, and email, as well as being posted on social media. We will do our best to make announcements in a timely manner.
Keeping Up With Reading Over Break
Just because there's no school for a few days doesn't mean that kids (and families!) can't sneak some reading in! Check out this blog post on supporting reading at home!
Admissions News & Notes
Siena accepting applications for the 2024-25 school year
Thinking about enrolling at Siena Catholic Schools this fall? Need some information on how to enroll? Complete this short Inquiry Form and a team member from this Admissions Office will contact you.
St. Catherine's Scholarships Available for the 2024-25 school year
St. Catherine's is offering scholarship opportunities for students entering grades 9-12 for the 2024-25 year. Selected students will receive scholarships starting at $500. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, January 17, 2024. Complete applications may be emailed to admissions@sienacatholicshools.org or may be hand-delivered or mailed to the Siena Admissions & Financial Aid Office located at 1220 Villa St. Racine, WI 53403.
Early 2024 Open Houses Scheduled
Save the date! Want to learn more about the K-8 schools with Siena Catholic Schools? Open houses are scheduled for early 2024!
St. Sebastian STEM Academy: Sunday, January 28, 2024. 10 a.m. to Noon
John Paul II Academy: Sunday, January 28, 2024. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
St. Rita Catholic School: Tuesday, January 30, 2024. 5 - 7 p.m.
Our Lady of Grace Academy: Thursday, February 1, 2024. 5 - 7 p.m.
St. Lucy Catholic School: Thursday, February 1, 2024. 5 - 7 p.m.
St. Joseph Catholic School: Monday, February 5, 2024. 3:15 - 5:15 p.m.
To learn more, email admissions@sienacatholicschools.org and speak to an admissions team member.
News & Notes, Resources
Siena is looking for Substitutes: If you or you know someone interested in becoming a substitute, please use this link to apply or contact bschurman@sienacatholicschools.org.
School Nutrition Program
Looking for breakfast and lunch menus? Did you know that you can view the breakfast, lunch, and snack menus online AND via the Taher app? All menus are located here...just click on the correct school on the upper right. You can download the Taher app here (Apple) and here (Android).
In addition to menus, extensive information about Taher and our school nutrition program can be found on the School Nutrition Website
Free and Reduced Meals application: https://sienacatholic.familyportal.cloud/
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
2023-24 Academic Calendar
You can download the calendar here.
Finalized special event dates will be communicated as they become available!
Looking for your school's Google calendar? They can be found here:
If you have ideas for the Siena community newsletter, have pictures or stories to share, or just want to say hi, you can email me at kgardner@sienacatholicschools.org.